Lasting Impression
by FadingIntoYou
Summary: Dani and Nico are where they should be, but what happens when they realize they can't fix everything? Life has a way of shoving all of your shortcomings in your face, and it really doesn't get any easier. Spoilers for finale; romance in future chapters.
1. Part 1

Do. Not. Murder. Me.

Now that that has been established, how ya doin?

I've been so stuck and frustrated lately that this is what I came up with, and I feel mentally lighter for it. Heavy themes I guess, and I took bits and pieces of personal experiences to make it a bit more real. It was exhausting to write, but I kind of love the way this turned out. This will be one of maybe 3 parts hopefully but...you never know.

Enjoy, review, let me know how your life's going if you have nothing else to say...and have a read.

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><p>She was sitting in her first huddle so to speak, and all she could think about was how life wasn't supposed to be like this. Life wasn't supposed to give you things and take them away for no reason; it was cruel and left scars that stayed behind after the dust cleared. She looked around and realized that not only was she just minutes away from falling apart, so were almost all of the men within a 30 foot radius. She'd held it together fairly well since she arrived ten minutes ago, but her control was slipping as she saw Booze wipe his eyes with the heels of his hands and Shane keeping a fist in front of his mouth, his eyes shining with unshed tears. They'd been waiting a bit before her since Nico came to get her, and something in the way he'd said TK had been shot had left her feeling hollow, like there was something she was missing. Matt had insisted to drive her and follow Nico here, but she'd subtly refused his comfort by seating herself in the middle of all the players.<p>

She'd worked with a number of them, but she really hadn't expected to be crushed into hugs as she arrived. Shane Booze had seen her and picked her up in a bear hug, the unevenness of his breath obvious as she squeezed him back before she was returned to the ground. The others had gotten up out of respect she'd thought, each squeezing her shoulder, shaking her hand, or hugging her if they needed the comfort. That event in itself was mentally draining, trying to keep the tears at bay when everyone else was falling apart. It was her job to fix things much like Nico, but she couldn't fix people that were broken in a way she was starting to experience; she had to be able to fix herself before she was any help to anyone else.

A doctor came out of the double doors, scrub cap in his hands that were fidgeting in front of him as he made his way to them. Everyone stood, parting as the doctor requested to speak to a Doctor Santino and Mr. Careles, his voice and the quiet murmurs of the guys making the hair on the back of her neck stand in anticipation. The second she met his eyes she knew why they'd sent him out; he was the one that was supposed to break the news to them. Men like him were often compassionate to a fault, making him the prime choice for dealing with emotional people, despite the fact that he didn't seem to be doing any better than they were.

He took a deep breath and looked her in the eyes, momentarily distracted when Nico and Matt made their way around everyone and stood to each side of her.

"Doctor Santino, I'm sorry to have to say…"

She choked back a sob as she held her hand out to stop him, forcing him to stay quiet as she spoke, her breath hitching as tears gathered in her brown eyes, making her vision swim as she faced him.

"Please, don't tell me he's gone" she whispered, the tears making their slow descent down her cheeks, falling to the floor. She didn't know how she was still standing, she'd felt as if her entire world had been yanked out from under her. TK was like another part of her family, and just like that he was gone. She didn't want to have to tell her kids, she didn't want to even think that it was true, it made her heart ache in a way that made her feel as if she were suffocating. The doctor lowered his voice as he got closer to her, grabbing the hand that was still hanging in mid air and patting them with both of his.

"You were his next of kin Mr. Careles and the executive of his estate Doctor Santino, would you like to see him and collect his belongings?" he asked quietly, holding her shaking hand in his unusually cold ones.

That was another blow to her, she wasn't even aware that TK had a will, let alone make her the executer. Why not make Nico both, why her? Glancing up quickly, she saw the looks on his teammate's faces, some allowing their tears to fall as others stayed stoically quiet and blank. Matt's mouth kept opening and closing, but he gave her a smile, it making her stomach churn with resentment. What the hell did he have to smile about? What the hell did he think was ok about anything that's happened tonight? The smile alone disgusted her, making her wonder how he could even contemplate being anything but sad and angry right now. As she turned to meet Nico's eyes, she saw something she's never expected; Nico was staring at the floor absently with his hands in his pockets, his eyes having the same glassy quality some of the players had earlier. She never thought it'd affect him in such a way, and it was a relief that someone understood that there was nothing ok or right with the world tonight.

"Where's Vivica?" Nico continued to look at the floor until she touched his arm, breaking his concentration and forcing his eyes to hers, both gazes filled with hurt and anger, some resentment on his side as well. He cleared his throat, his voice slightly raspy.

"She's in the ladies room; she couldn't handle the news"

She wasn't even aware that Vivica had been in the room, but felt awful that she didn't try to console his girlfriend.

"It's not your fault, the second she saw the doctor she sprinted out. I guess she just knew" he stated quietly, refusing to meet her eyes again.

His words surprised her, but they really shouldn't have; Nico knows everything, it was his job to. At that moment, Matt had stuck his arm over her shoulder, and she could see Nico visibly stiffen as she tried to shrug off his arm, not being able to move him an inch. She didn't want Matt anywhere near her right now; she was raw and he had the nerve to _smile_. She knew she sounded irrational, but she couldn't get over the fact that he really didn't look all that different from every other day other than his reluctance to speak at all.

"Doctor-"

"Yes, I want to see him" she said, feeling Matt move with her as she stuck a hand on his chest. Everyone else had sat down by now, trying to console each other as her, Matt, and Nico stood before the doctor. She backed away from Matt as he tried to reach for her, almost bumping into Nico in the process.

"This isn't going to work Matt, right now I'm in no condition to be in a relationship and I know we jumped in too hastily. I'd appreciate it if you gave me space until we're able to work together again"

"Dani, where's this coming from?" he replied, hurt that she kept staying just out of arms reach from him.

"Go to San Francisco Matt, it's what you want"

"But I thought you said I was just scar y enough? Please don't give up on us before we've even had a chance to start"

"I'm not. Like I said, sometimes you need that second time to know it just wasn't right. This isn't right for me, and neither are you. I won't do this now, either respect that or leave me alone" she said in a monotone, unable to make herself feel sad. These were the moments in life that people often made rash decisions, but she could just feel a disconnection. She didn't need to explain it or analyze it, she knew he wasn't who she needed and that was enough for her. She needed a rock when she wanted to fall apart, and he just wasn't that kind of person.

"Doctor Santino, whenever you're ready…" the doctor reminded her gently, breaking her staring contest with Matt. His eyes suddenly flared with anger as he looked between her and the doctor, forgetting Nico was even there.

"If you leave Dani, there's no going back" he said lowly, meeting her eyes once again. She saw things there that she didn't want to understand, things that she wasn't willing to sift through to make him feel better.

"Then I guess I'm on my own huh" she answered him, crossing her arms as he turned from her and stormed at, making all of the player's attention go to her. She looked quickly away and back to the doctor, motioning him to show her in. She felt someone behind her as they grabbed her arm lightly, turning her slightly to be able to make eye contact with them.

"You shouldn't be alone right now" Nico reminded her in a low rumble. She saw the emotions swirling in his eyes, the most prominent being a protective gaze as they made their way back through those double doors. That protectiveness gave them an air of distance that she didn't want tonight. She knew he was upset when he'd come to tell her about TK, but it seemed like he was focused on the incident at hand. The halls smelled stale with cleaning products mixed with blood on the air, making her stomach churn for a different reason this time. The hand that Nico had put around hers was gone, but she's managed to reach back and grip his hand tightly in hers. He was cool to the touch, and it was a nice contrast to her overheated skin.

"I'm not" she simply said as they followed the doctor into the room, a sheet place carefully over his body. Nico extracted his hand from her and stood across the table from her as the doctor gave them a few minutes. She looked over to gather strength from Nico, but was met with indifference. His body was taut with thinly veiled irritation.

"You aren't alone in the literal sense Doctor, but there's no one waiting for you outside these doors"

"I'm well aware of that Nico, I just sent that someone away"

"Next time, don't push people that care away. You end up lonely and there's no one to blame but yourself" he offered, reaching over to pull the sheet from over TK's face. She threw out her hand to stop his, getting an annoyed look her way from him. She was at her wits end and was fed up with his shit; she didn't do anything to warrant it.

"Like you? I don't know what the hell your problem is, but you can leave Mr. Careles" she said coldly, pulling the sheet out of his grasp. He looked at her with a mixture of hurt and anger, but he wasn't the first tonight.

"Excuse me?"

"I don't need anyone here, nor do I want someone here. I don't remember asking you to be here with me"

"You didn't, I chose to come anyway"

"Then choose to leave as well. I'm done dealing with men and their tantrums tonight"

Nico's eyes flashed with rage at being compared to Matt and a child in the same sentence. He didn't need her to know why he was upset, but with the way she was blatantly dismissing him gave him a clue as to how unlike herself she actually was tonight. She was tired and hurt and just wanted to curl up in a ball, but she couldn't because she had to be strong for everyone else; she had to be _that_ person for everyone else. Nico's stance relaxed as he saw the fight drain out of her eyes, only to be replace with a new wave of tears as she went to move the sheet. This time, he was the one to put his hands over hers, cutting off any clipped retort she may have.

"Despite what you may think, I'm here to look after you too; sometimes you just need a friend" He quoted her words back at her as he gripped her hands, sliding the sheet with her gently until it uncovered TK's pale face. Her eyes instantly welled up and began pouring tears, but she kept silent as she traced the planes of his face. She looked so lost in the lines of his face, lightly tracing the line of his nose and the cheeks that used to smile or scowl at her. She looked broken for the first time he'd ever witnessed, almost as if she were the one to have lost a child rather than a patient. It broke his heart to see her cry so silently, but it made a few tears leak from his eyes as she leant over his body to press a kiss on his forehead. She kept her head there as she let out a strangled few breaths, kissing his cheek this time and stroking his rapidly cooling face.

They stayed that way for a few minutes, her kissing TK's head one last time before she moved the sheet back up to cover him again. She began to walk to the door, but stopped when she didn't hear Nico behind her, only to turn and face him putting his hand over TK's white sheet, bowing his head slightly.

"Dios bendice su alma Terrence. Habría hecho a un padre asombroso un dia" he said, just loud enough for her to hear before he stepped away and walked to her. He took in her confused gaze tinged with a bit of awe as she wiped away stray tears that refused to stop falling.

"What did you say?" she asked innocently, genuinely curious as to the phrase he uttered. He knew she spoke broken Italian at best, so with how rapidly he said it, it was no question she wanted a translation. She could tell he was slightly uncomfortable with the prospect of telling her, but he squashed that in favor of trying to be there for her.

"I said may God bless his soul and that he would have made a great father someday" he said quietly, seeing the tears form again in her eyes, but held at bay. He didn't expect her to make a big deal about it, but the tender look she gave him was enough to remove any residue of annoyance he had towards her. He may have been hurt that she was with Matt, but she realized that he wasn't really there for her in the way she'd thought.

"That's really sweet of you Nico"

"No it wasn't, it was the truth. He would have made it there, he just never got the chance" he said, putting a hand on her back to gently guide her out of the cold room.

"What made you say that?"

"Aside from it being the truth, it was out of respect. My family always prayed in Spanish, habit I suppose" she was intrigued by the bit of information she was given, realizing that someone had to have passed away constantly during his life to make him do that as a reflex. The thought was sad, but it was something she could see being Nico's view of respect.

He could feel the way she leaned into him, and it made him feel that much lighter until they made their way back to those double doors. They both stopped just short, knowing that they'd have to face everyone the second they opened them. Nico reached over and grazed the back of her hand with his pinky, feeling her shiver as she took her pinky and linked it with his. They both took deep breathes and put their free hands against the doors, letting each other go the second the doors gave way. They'd made progress, but it's only been two hours; life was never that easy.

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><p>Now you understand my warning as to why my life is of value, you'll never know what happens if you kill me! I wanted to kill TK (despite the fact that I like him) because I think it's a different take on things. My other stories are being worked on at a really slow pace, only because inspiration doesn't always hit long enough to get them done. Stay tuned, the other one or two chapters (possibly more if the mood strikes me) will be up at the latest sometime on Monday.<p>

~ the Spanish is from Google since my Spanish is broken or offensive most of the time *smiles innocently* ~


	2. Part 2

Alright, I really am a long winded individual...I wanted to cut this chapter, but it's a treat because I'm in an immensly good mood. I think this is a possible way to relieve tension, but hey, it's MY FIC so you'll all just have to deal with it. Enjoy, because I really did. (Don't go thinking all creepy thought on me...). The song that is mentioned is Just a Little Bit by Liberty X if anyone is wondering at the end of this chapter.

Follow me on Twitter for updates on when I publish new chapters, my suburban teenage life, or if you just want to follow me because you love me ;) I'm FadingIn2You on it so...go follow!

Enough of my self promoting, read this very...intriguing chapter. Reviews are a privilege and not a right, but I don't think understand just how badly I want to know you views on this chapter so help an author out!

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><p>Coming face to face with the entire team was impossibly hard. The first one to approach her was Coach Purnell, asking if there was anything he could do. The rest of the team has basically been that way, with the exception of Matt slouching in the corner hoping she'd take back what she'd said. As she finished off with the last Hawk, she made her way over to Vivica, who sat in the other corner, staring blankly at the doors she and Nico had come through not even an hour ago. TK had passed away over three hours ago, and yet it felt as if it had been weeks since she'd slept.<p>

"Vivica, I'm Doctor Santino" she said gently, placing her hand over the younger woman's as she sat down, trying to release her death grip on the hospital's chair. She looked dazed when she met Dani's eyes, but burst into tears and leaned on her shoulder. Nico felt for her, having to console everyone else before even having a chance to really process things herself. He knew she'd be shaken, and how she was going to break it to her children made him wince in sympathy. He'd make sure he was there for that, knowing that it was going to be anything but easy. People like them, they didn't get easy, they got possible, but how they got there left scars that faded long after the blood dried.

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><p>As the last few Hawks cleared the waiting room, all that was left were Dani and Nico on opposite sides of the room until Matt came storming in. He saw Nico and pointedly ignored him, making his way to sit across from Dani, still in the same seat she'd been in while she held Vivica. She and Nico were able to convince her to go home and get some sleep, but she was glad that Booze had offered her the ride. She wasn't in any condition to drive, and being alone was a relentless monster at times like these.<p>

"Dani, can we just talk?" Matt asked trying to keep his voice down so Nico wouldn't overhear. She was well aware that Nico could hear them if the look in his eyes was anything to judge it by. He looked at her cautiously, trying to gauge how she felt about Donnally trying to open wounds so quickly. He was going to have a talk about him and his lack of control at one time or another…

"Matt, I'm exhausted. I'm sad. I'm angry. And, I want nothing to do with you right now" she sighed, sinking into her chair to get some distance from him. He had a tendency to speak very close to people and it unnerved her this time.

"But Dani, I care about you. I'm here if you need me…"

"That's just it Matt, you may care, but you stormed out of here to throw a fit after I decided what was best for me"

"I didn't actually leave-"

"You literally walked out. I need someone to be my rock, and that will never be you, despite how much you want it to be"

"Then who is your rock Dani? Nico? He doesn't give a damn about you or anyone" he spat at her, making her angry at what he was saying about Nico more than anything else. With the way he took care of her and talked to TK's body, he was an amazing man that didn't warrant a jealous attack.

"My rock can be anyone that isn't you. You know absolutely nothing about Nico, now get away from me"

"You think you know him, but he's just playing you" he said as he made to get up. He froze at her words though, sagging and hanging his head.

"At least with him, I'd know I was one of the players. You seemed to add players whenever the mood struck you, or if a blond was around" she ground out, hurt at the truth in her words.

His silence was enough to prove her right, but it hurt more to know that he wasn't even going to fight it. Nico was right, no one was waiting for her, but he seemed to be the one to pick up the pieces this time. He came to sit in Matt's vacant seat after Matt had stormed out for the second time in just six hours. He sat slouched in his chair, staring at the ceiling as she removed her gaze from the doors to settle on him. He could feel her eyes bore into his body, but he let her just stare. She was mentally cataloguing the slope of his neck and the way his Adam's apple bobbed when he swallowed. It was the little lines around his eyes and mouth that she focused on, knowing that they proved that he smiled and laughed genuinely like the rest of the world.

"Still think you don't need a friend?"

She jumped in her chair, startled at the low tone of his voice as he kept his eyes closed, still with his head tipped back to the ceiling. She had gotten lost in the lines of his body, it calming her that he was right there with her, alive and breathing.

"I think…I need a drink" she said, blowing out a giant breath of air as she rested her elbows on her knees. Her hands supported her head as she leant forward on them to look at Nico, who mimicked actions. His head was in his hands on his knees, staring intently at her as she yawned, her eyes looking glassy without the tears this time. He could see the way her nose was tinged red and her eyes were slightly more puffy than normal. She was hurting just as bad as everyone else, but hid it well. She wasn't weak by a long shot, but everyone did need someone there for them every one and a while.

He got up suddenly, forcing her to lean back in her chair to watch him as he shrugged on his coat and standing in front of her. She looked up at him puzzled, until he stuck his hand out to help her up.

"We can go anywhere you want, and then you can rebuild" he said cryptically.

"How did you know I have to-"

"Despite that you may find it intrusive, I know you Doctor Santino. You need to rebuild to help everyone else, so we'll begin the process tonight"

She looked up at him with tears in her eyes for what seemed to be the thousandth time tonight before reaching for his outstretched hand and grasping it tightly.

"We?" she asked skeptically as he pulled her to stand directly in front of him, much closer than she anticipated. She was maybe an inch from his chest, forcing her to tilt her head back in order to see his face. She caught a gentle spicy scent when she was so close to him, reminding her of those moments at Christmas time when, even if the house was empty, you really didn't feel alone at all. It was comforting that aside from his caring demeanor, even the way he smelled calmed her. It was unsettling the way she could melt into him at a moment's notice, and that alone made her take a step back and release the hand she didn't know he was still holding. He looked hurt for a moment before hiding it, nodding to her as they made their way outside, distance between them once again.

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><p>Driving into the city didn't surprise Dani, but what did surprise her was when they pulled up in front of a huge brick building in the middle of a busy street, people all over the place and cars zooming in and out of traffic. Nico pulled into the underground garage as she saw all of the night lights disappear only to be replaced by the concrete walls that muffled the noises of the outside world. He parked and got out, opening her door and escorting her to an elevator, all the while not saying a word to the questions she asked.<p>

"Where are we?"

"Nico, I was kidding about the drink"

"Nico I swear if you don't answer me…" he chuckled at that one, then getting out of the elevator ahead of her when they got to the 15th floor.

What she hadn't noticed before was that the walls matched the inside of the elevator, all dark wood and what looked like stainless steel. The walls had the wood and steel strips in the middle of the wall, the pattern only broken by the black sconces that held little yellow lights that made the hallway glow in a comfortable way without blinding anyone. He got out his key ring and opened the door, motioning her inside before he shut it and locked it behind her. She got three steps before she just stared in awe of what she knew had to be Nico's home. One white wall of his living room held numerous bookshelves, anything from textbooks to one book that stuck out like a sore thumb; Dating for Dummies. She wanted to laugh so badly, but with the look he threw her as he passed her and went into the kitchen was enough to make her keep it to herself.

She next noticed that with the exception of a dark gray wall in the living room, kitchen, and hallway, every other wall was white. The living room had beautiful black furniture, the sofa looking like any other sofa, but had one end longer than the rest, almost looking like a small bed. There was a leather armchair to the right of the couch and another to the left, a silver glass coffee table in the middle with remote controls on them. On the opposite wall from the book shelves was an impressive sound system, rows of CDs and records to her surprise below it. It was incased in a glass cabinet, the record player as well as the stereo system. On the lone dark gray wall there was a dark black wooden cabinet that she thought held his television, since there were panels on the bottom for what could be DVDs.

"Enjoying yourself Doctor?"

She turned around quickly, watching him watch her from the entryway of his living room while leaning against the wall. She noticed that he really was always impeccably dressed, and only realized that because he'd had on a long black coat that covered everything but his dress shoes earlier that night. Now she was able to tell that he was in a pair of black jeans and a deep emerald green turtle neck. She couldn't help but stare, until she noticed that cocky smirk on his face, then turning back to move in front of his impressive book shelves.

"Here, I thought we could use something a bit heavier tonight"

She looked back again, and this time there was a bottle of Patron, two limes, a knife, a salt shaker, and two shot glasses. He went to sit in the arm chair as she sat at the edge of his sofa closest to him, wordlessly taking off her jacket and sitting there in just her tank top and jeans. She reached for the tequila and took the top off, pouring generous amounts into both glasses, then taking the knife and slicing the lime in half, and then into thirds. Nico watched in fascination as the juice started to trail down her hand, only to be wiped away with her tongue. The action in itself was seductive, but she didn't seem to take notice.

She then picked up the salt shaker, keeping her eyes locked with his the whole time as she licked right above her thumb and shook salt over the slick area. She picked up her lime in her left hand with the salt and the tequila in her right, watching him watch her as she downed her shot, licked the salt, and bit into the lime. He was transfixed when her tongue swiped over her lips to catch any stray alcohol, her eyes challenging him as she leant to the side, waiting for him to do the same.

They continued on like this for about six shots, Dani being able to hold her liquor much better than he originally thought. She got up, albeit a bit wobbly, but managed to get back over to his bookshelf.

He came to stand behind her she could tell, but refused to let him get to her because he knew it made her nervous.

"Go ahead and ask"

"Ask what?" she said innocently, trying not to face him so he couldn't see the smile stretching across her face. She almost felt guilty for feeling anything but sad, but his hand on her back gave her other things to think about for a minute.

"The book for dummies. It was a gift from my niece"

"I think I like her already"

"Very funny. She thought I was lonely and needed help, she thought she was making a difference"

"And let me guess, you told her you didn't need it because you flew solo right?" she said quietly, the smile no longer on her face as she stared blankly at his books. She didn't want to know about his life; it was a dangerous line to cross, and she wasn't even sure that's where whatever this was headed, if it was headed anywhere.

"Actually, I told her I loved it and that I appreciated her thoughtfulness. I didn't have the heart to get rid of it all these years"

She turned her head to look at him over her shoulder, his gaze tender as he got her into yet another staring contest. She was beginning to think that he just liked to watch her squirm, but he changed the game when he used his finger to move a piece of hair out of her face. His finger traced down behind her ear and ended up cradling the left side of her neck, his thumb slowly caressing the skin above her rapidly pounding pulse. She could smell the alcohol on his breath when he was this close to her, and it was starting to do funny things to her stomach.

Their speech was slightly slurred and they were pleasantly numb when Dani decided to up the ante. Nico had moved away from her this time to the long part of the couch, making her sit closer to him to reach the tequila this time, and it gave her an idea. This time, she took Nico's hand in hers and slowly licked it before shaking salt over it. He watched her, transfixed before he got an idea of his own. He leant his back against the couch, just out of her reach and held the salted hand over one shoulder, refusing to release the grasp.

"If you want the salt, you'll have to come get it" he said huskily, his eyes daring her to make that move. She had had enough alcohol in her to make her loosen up, and she was tired of him thinking that she would back off every time he challenged her. This time, she was going to be the one to challenge him, and he could either push back or pull away, but it was going to be all on him.

She eyed him as she got up slowly, straddling him as he kept his left hand planted on his right shoulder. The tequila and lime were in her right hand before she separated them while he stared at her. His eyes held a mischievous challenge as she leaned into his body, making sure he watched as she got closer to his hand and downed her shot, licking the hand he instinctively brought closer to her as she bit into the lime. Her eyes held a victorious glint until he leaned up to meet her face to face. He leaned closer as he reached for the other shot and lime, the salt shaker already on his right. He set the lime down as he grabbed the salt, leaning into her until she felt his wet tongue on the right side of her collarbone. She sucked in a breath and couldn't help the quit moan she let slip as he moved away. He lightly placed salt there as he set down the shaker, picked up the salt, and downed his seventh shot.

He threw back the alcohol, but slowly leant into her neck and made a show of taking one long lick to get all of the salt before biting into the lime. Her body arched into his as he started to pull away, her body following him until she placed her hands on either side of his head, leaving only a few inches between their faces. She could smell his spicy scent again and it wasn't helping her already foggy brain. She didn't understand why she wanted Nico all of a sudden, but the fact that he was pulling her closer rather than pushing her away was an intoxicating feeling. She knew she thought he was intriguing, but the way he was holding her made her think that they could have more, if they let themselves have it.

"What are we doing Nico?" she whispered, her hair brushing his neck as his hands rested on the small of her back, bringing her closer to him still.

"We're getting closer" he helpfully added, bringing one hand up to rest in her hair at the base of her skull.

"This isn't because we're drunk?"

He really looked at her, and brought her face less than a half an inch away from his face, his lips ghosting over hers as he spoke.

"This is because I'm not strong enough to resist you when you're this close"

"I can't think with you this close" she countered, feeling him chuckle as she placed one hand over his heart on his chest.

"Then don't think. I'm not drunk, and neither are you. We're just acting on something we didn't realize was there"

"TK's dead Nico" she whispered, afraid to disrupt the quietness, only now noticing that an extremely sexy song was floating out of his stereo. Everything this man did had a purpose; she'd to give him that.

"I know, and there's nothing we can do but live here and now. I'll be here for you the entire way if you let me"

She looked down at him and saw the honesty there. She didn't know if this was what she should have been doing tonight of all nights, but the thought of being with anyone but Nico right no physically made her shake with fear. She didn't realize just how badly she wanted him at her side, and it was enough to let her give in to what she's wanted to do since being at the hospital with him.

"I'm holding you to that"

"I wouldn't have it any other-"

Just as he was about to finish his sentence, she touched her lips to his and slipped her tongue over his and he couldn't even remember what words were. They came up for air the first time of many times a few minutes later early that morning. Neither was aware that it was three thirty in the morning; all they could focus on each other.

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><p>Do they have sex? Do they just make out? That's up to me, but keep my past fics in mind; do I ever REALLY venture outside of their actual character? [No,I don't :)] Stay tuned people, more to come.<p> 


	3. Part 3

From the bottom of my heart, I'm sorry it's taken me this long to update. There was a loss in my family along with a few other things and it's been difficult to even contemplate writing when things in my story mimicked real life. I am recovering and getting back into the swing of things, so please don't come down on me too hard. This chapter came out on its own and wasn't what I wanted, but I figured I could live with it if there was something for you all to read. I will get back on track with my plot soon enough, but this was better than nothing at all.

Read, review, pity me, whatever. This week has literally gotten me from possibly every angle and I'm just trying to rebuild.

Enjoy.

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><p>Dani stirred from a deep sleep, and instantly buried her head under the nearest pillow, the sunlight from the windows making her head pound in protest. As she reached her hand out to grab her cell phone, she squeaked before falling on her stomach, her hand scrambling and grabbing nothing but air as it flailed around. She then realized that she was on a couch, not her bed, and she didn't actually remember how she'd gotten there. The last thing she remembered was-<p>

"Good morning sleepy head"

She froze at the sound of Nico's voice, it being too loud and it being unexpected. Her head snapped up to see him lounging against an arm chair, the night before fuzzy to her hung over mind. He placed a glass of water and what she assumed to be aspirin as she greedily drank it, remembering that hangovers can be a bitch if left untreated. He gave her space to get her bearings, but what he was met with cut him deep.

"Nico, what the hell happened last night?" Dani asked confused, and it took all of his self control not to widen his eyes and stare at her dumbly. He'd thought she'd hold her alcohol well since she didn't throw up, but apparently he was concerned about the wrong problem. He sat down slowly in the leather chair, putting his mug of coffee down. He saw her eye it hungrily, and something in him flared because she had been looking at him like that less than 9 hours ago. He regulated his breathing and the rapid staccato of his heart before diving head in.

"What do you remember from last night Doctor?"

He figured that was the best question to start with, but when her tears welled up; he knew he'd said the wrong thing. She opened her mouth a few times before giving up, looking sadly into her almost empty glass of water instead of at him. She traced the rim with her finger as she spoke, her voice cracking ever so slightly, but getting stronger towards the end.

"I remember having to…having to hold Vivica Nico. God, she just unraveled in my arms. I remember my second fight with Matt" she looked up at him with embarrassment, remembering the things Matt had said, "Then I remember coming here. You brought me in, and I think we had a drink…but everything after that is really fuzzy. Why?"

He sighed as he leaned back, the voice in his head telling him that he should have expected this. He jumped into it full force because he thought she wanted this, wanted _him_, but she had no idea. Only this woman could take a piece of him and break it and not remember a thing. He sat there with her in silence as she began to fidget with her hair, him remembering his manners then.

"There's a spare tooth brush in the guest bathroom as well as a towel if you'd like to shower. While you do that, I'll make you coffee"

He practically sprinted from the room, it suffocating him as he noticed the slight red mark on her exposed collarbone. He hadn't thought he'd left a mark, but truth be told, that wasn't at the forefront of his mind. As he heard the door click behind her upstairs, he stood in front of the sink with his head in his hands, almost ripping his hair out at every pass. He knew last night was a bad idea, but she was just as upset as he was…

"Nico?"

He whipped around to see her staring at him strangely, her leaning against the bar in his kitchen. It gave them a good four to six feet between them, but that didn't even feel like enough. He cocked his hip against the sink, his face looking impassive as she continued to stare at him. She absentmindedly ran her fingers through her hair, and it made him itch to do the same; he remembered how soft it was and how she smelled like vanilla and it made him feel out of control again.

"What happened last night? I have this red mark on my neck, but its way too long to be a hickey"

He froze at her choice of words as she laughed, unaware of his reaction. He remembered that mark quite well; he'd scraped his teeth up and down that side of her throat, right over where he'd first licked the salt from. He remembered soothing it with his tongue, but he must have applied more pressure than he thought. He proudly wanted to tell her that his tongue made that mark, much like she did right under his collar as well. His looked exactly like a hickey, and he wanted nothing more than to return the favor.

"I have no idea. You were running your hands through your hair a lot; you might have scratched yourself that way"

He hated lying to her, but the truth would only complicate matters further. He didn't want to be another thing she had to worry about, another thing she had to fix. He wasn't a charity case, and maybe her forgetting was a blessing in disguise. She smiled and nodded at him, backing out of the room again, this time turning on the shower minutes later. He stood at the sink the entire time, trying to work out just how he was going to get through the next few days with her without jumping her.

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><p>Dani turned on the shower, feeling the steam wrap around her as it quickly filled his lavish guest bathroom. The towels he'd given her smelled faintly of him, and it made her tingle in an unexpected way. She couldn't remember anything from last night, but this scent seemed to invade her senses with familiarity. As she stripped and stepped into the shower, she groaned with appreciation at the steady stream of hot water. It washed away a lot of the residue from last night, washing away her tears until all that was left was the time she was missing. If it had been anyone else's apartment, she would have been scared at the gap in her memory, but it was Nico and she didn't have the heart to be scared of him. As she bent over to grab the bottle of body wash, she poured a small amount in her hands when she got an overwhelming flash in her mind.<p>

She could feel herself being rolled underneath a man, but his face was just out of focus enough to evade her memory. She could feel his breath on her skin, his hands holding hers above her head as he kissed her long and hard. She could feel herself arch into him as he wound his tongue around hers, groaning at the sensation before pulling his mouth from hers. He slowly released her hands as she put them around his neck, him going for the side of her neck as she felt the sharpened of his teeth scrape just her skin back and forth. She dug her nails into his back, raking them down to hold his waist, bringing him closer to her as she started to lift the sweater he had on over his head. She ran her hands over the smooth skin of his chest before digging her nails into his back, him hitting the sensitive spot behind her ear. She moaned and sighed into him, and could feel the arousal as he chuckled lowly, meeting her eyes with a startling hazel gaze. She dug her nails in deeper, satisfied when he hissed in pain before kissing her once again.

She snapped out of her flashback as the water felt significantly cooler before she rinsed off and jumped out, unsure of how to feel. She knew the eyes looking back at her, it was on the tip of her tongue, but she just couldn't remember. She knew she had been with Nico all night, considering she woke up on his couch, and Matt had blue green eyes…

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><p>As she walked back into his kitchen, Dani was met with an overwhelming sight, in more ways than one. She had just turned the corner, but quickly ducked back, seeing Nico in front of his refrigerator pulling a black sweater over his head. As if his naked back wasn't enough to make her blush, the deep red marks covering his shoulders and back were a dead giveaway. She could hardly breath, furious with him for lying to her, but she could understand it; she didn't remember a thing, and he was just trying to save their…working relationship? She wasn't sure if that was the thing he was protecting, but she decided she was going to make him tell her. She wasn't going to give in this time, this time he was going to give in to her. <em>Again<em> her mind quietly reminded her, and it made her cheeks and neck flush with heat. He was too good at seducing a woman, and they'd been drunk at the time. Imagine him with all of his focus on her…

"Earth to Doctor Santino, do you plan on coming out from behind the wall anytime soon?"

She cursed under her breath, hearing the smug tone as she rounded the corner. He held out a mug to her, but she was careful to make sure to brush his hand with her fingertips. He pulled back quickly and turned to busy his hands with another cup, making her grin in satisfaction.

"So, you never did answer me"

"What was your question?"

"What happened last night? And I want your account this time Nico" he took a deep breath and leaned against his sink once again, looking into his mug this time.

"We came back here after the hospital; you said you wanted to drink. I brought alcohol, we drank, then we eventually passed out" he said matter-of-factly, taking a long sip from his coffee.

She noticed just then that the sweater he had on now wasn't as high as the other one, and you could see a small purple bruise forming at the edge of his sweater. She blushed, knowing that it was her that caused it, but caught his gaze and almost choked on her coffee. She locked eyes with his startling hazel gaze, exactly the same eyes from her flashback. She knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that he was the man she was with last night, and she honestly couldn't say she regretted it one bit. He was there when everyone else seemed to fall away, but he stayed as unmoving as ever.

"Hmmm, interesting. So, did you scratch yourself as well?" she asked innocently as she got up. He froze, reaching up to the wrong side of his neck, giving her time to get close to him. She held his eyes as she reached around to place her mug into the sink, coming back up to place her fingers lightly over his hickey. His eyes darkened as he licked his lips, leaning into her. She shivered as she felt his quick breaths on her face, but backed p after caressing the bruise for a moment.

"Next time, don't lie to me Nico; we'll deal with this later" she walked away from him, grabbing her jacket in the process as she headed for the door.

"Where are you going?"

"We are going to tell Ray Jay and Linds. You promised to be there, so let's get a move on" she called over her shoulder, and he smiled in response. She might remember something after all, and he wasn't sure whether that was a good thing or not.

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><p>Dropping herself onto his couch, Dani groaned in frustration as she placed her hands over her eyes. They were swollen and red from crying again, trying to console her children as they processed everything. Lindsay was softer than Ray Jay, and burst into tears at losing anyone remotely close to her so suddenly. Ray Jay on the other hand, stormed out of the living room after denying it to be true, slamming his door behind him. Her daughter clung to her for a few more minutes before going to check on her brother, telling her mom that she'd have him call her when he was feeling better. She retreated, knowing she was in Ray's house and that it was his week, but it didn't make things any easier. All she wanted to do was be there for them, but it seemed like they really just needed each other.<p>

"There was nothing you could do to make things any better" Nico told her softly as he passed her, gathering wine in wine glasses for them both as he placed them down to start flipping through CDs. She watched his back muscles flex under the thin material, mesmerized at the tight control under the impassive shell that was Nico.

An slow song came from the speakers that she thought sounded familiar, but when Nico stuck his hand out to her, her face showed the surprise she felt. He gave her a gentle smile as he waited patiently for her to take his hand, her just now realizing that the coffee table was at the edge of the room. Sneaky bastard.

He pulled her into his arms and she rested her head against his shoulder until she remembered that they still needed to talk. She was just about to start in when he spoke lowly and into her ear.

"My sister used to love this song. She used to make me put her on top of my shoes and dance with her around the house"

She looked up at him in amazement, him voluntarily giving her a piece of his childhood. She quietly listened as he spoke, hearing the far away tone he used and the quiet laughter in his voice when remembering it.

"She was devastated every time the movie came on and Selena died, but she knew it was coming. Thus, she loved to play this song in her room. She never got too old to dance on my feet though"

"That's sweet Nico"

"Honestly, it was selfish. With everything going on around us, I wanted her to have that little bit of time to be the kid I never got to be"

"Oh Nico…"

"We'll talk tomorrow I promise; I know you've started to figure it out. Can we just wait until then?"

The look in his eyes and on his face kept her from saying a single thing as she set her head back on his chest and swayed in time with him. She was safe from the world tonight, and that was all she wanted before they had to do this all again tomorrow with TK's lawyers. Even as he passed, he still managed to get her wrapped up in his life, and just like old times, she wasn't going to go anywhere. She was here for him as well as Nico, and she was starting to realize that that really was enough, for now.

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><p>I tried, I really did, but this one was a wild thought. Please let me get back into the swing of things, it's been a tragic week. Song is "Dreaming of You" by Selena, it was one that meant something to me as well. I'm not emotional, really.<p> 


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